


Sharpe's Shilling

by Sharpiefan



Category: Sharpe - All Media Types, Sharpe Series - Bernard Cornwell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 18:11:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1097004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharpiefan/pseuds/Sharpiefan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. This is Sharpe's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sharpe's Shilling

  
**Spoiler for:** No spoilers  
 **Prompt:** Beginnings  
 **Rating:** U  
 **Pairing/Characters** Sharpe, Hakeswill

~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Dick Sharpe gawped from the back of the crowd. He'd never seen anyone like the sergeant before. He wasn't sure if he believed all the patter, though. A childhood like his did not lead to believing everything you were told.

The Sergeant was standing on a bench outside The Hawle in the Pond pub. It was Friday, market day, and there were several likely-looking lads in the crowd.

"I says it again, boys, you get a bounty of five guineas, three shillings and sixpence three farthings. Just for joining the army. Says so in the Scriptures!" The sergeant paused and a bored looking drummer beat a quick raffle. "And in six months you'll be a sergeant. Like what I am."

The wind teased the ribbons on his hat. Sharpe wondered how he could get an oatcake, like the one spiked on the Sergeant's bayonet. It had been three days since he'd stabbed Jack Thwaite, and he was hungry. Not that he hadn't spent most of his life hungry, but he was beginning to get desperate for some food.

"You. The tall lad. What's your name?"

It had to be Sharpe; he'd started growing alarmingly in the four months he'd worked for Thwaite. "Dick Sharpe, sir."

"Ever thought about joining the army, lad?"

"No, sir."

"A smart lad like you could be an officer in two years," the Sergeant said, and Sharpe's eyes widened. "Says so in the scriptures, lad. Why don't you come and have a drink with your friend Sergeant Hakeswill? And while you're at it -" here he reached out across the crowd "- take this."

Sharpe reached out and took it. He opened his hand to find a shilling. Dick Sharpe's shilling.


End file.
